Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

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ncopley
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My Pool: 16K gal, pebbel tech, goldline TCell 15, inground pool with spa.
Location: Houston

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby ncopley » Tue 26 Jul, 2011 14:36

I have read through all 17 pages of posts. I think I might have something different as a problem. For the last year I've had a pool cleaning company servicing the pool....this was probably my first mistake since I may know more than they do about my salt system. I've have the T-15 Turbo Cell since the pool was built in 2004! Yes...that is correct. It has lasted that long. I'm an engineer and very maticulas (but maybe can't spell). So the pool guy noticed the salt reading going down. He kept adding salt...mistake #2. He tried cleaning the cell numerous times and then decided it was my cell that was bad. I took for granted that he knew what he was doing...mistake #3... and recently ordered from Goldline a new cell and installed myself (so easy). The salt reading on the cell before I replaced the cell was steady at 4900 for a week. Installed new cell...still salt at 4900. Had salt checked at Leslie's pool who used a $100 salt sensor (don't know if that makes any difference). Salt reading was 4400. Not totally unexpected since the pool guy kept adding salt. There is only one light showing on the control panel - steady green light on "remotely controlled". No power light, like usual, no "generating" light as usual, etc. Now I am wondering if my circuit board is bad... Any help would be much appreciated. I'm ready for this system to get up and running already.

Thanks
Nina


ncopley
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Joined: Tue 26 Jul, 2011 14:22
My Pool: 16K gal, pebbel tech, goldline TCell 15, inground pool with spa.
Location: Houston

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby ncopley » Tue 26 Jul, 2011 14:43

Kcooper1...I am not an expert on pool stuff but here is a link to parts for the aqua-rite system:

http://www.discountpoolwarehouse.com/ht ... parts.html

I BELIEVE "PCB" is Power Control Board. I cannot help as to which one you want but would suspest that you look for a model #/Part# or something to match up with what you have. I think I may need the same thing but I also have not taken the time to figure out which one yet. The dark spot does seem as something has burned out. If you have not read all previous posts there may be some similiar issues.
RobInTx

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby RobInTx » Fri 29 Jul, 2011 23:03

There is a very inexpensive fix.....search Youtube for Goldline PCB and see how a $7.00 soldering iron can fix the burned connection.....I tried it an dit worked
poolstud
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My Pool: 18 x 32 kidney, waterfall feature, Aquarite swcg, Jandy CL340 cartridge filter, Hayward 2 speed superpump
Location: Canada

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby poolstud » Sat 30 Jul, 2011 15:29

I must say "The Pool Guys Rock" - I'm new to these SPH forums, and registered just to be able to say thanks to the Pool Guys as their salt recalibration procedure was just what I needed for my Aquarite. I have a T-Cell-15 that is 6.5 yrs old and has been great by the way (yes it has to be cleaned every 4 mths I'd say, but I bought a number #11 rubber plug at my pool store to plug the cord end of the cell and I pour the 4:1 Water:Muriatic mix in for 20 mins easy peezy, and carefully use those long narrow wooden mixing stiicks to poke thru persistent calcium deposits or flora that gets in there), but my pool is only 17000 gals (so the unit wasn't being strained and so I would expect more than 10,000 stated hrs life) so was dismayed when I had probs this weekend with low avg readings (2000 when salt strips say 3450 pretty consistently). I've always wondered why they were lower by around 500-600 usually, and Hayward and then this forum said 500 diff isn't significant, but 1450 would be. So I thought I needed a new cell perhaps, or wanted to change the salt sensor til Mark (thankfully) said there isn't a salt sensor to replace...so persitence paid off on pg 15 of 18 when the pool guys posted the salt recalibration procedure...and I'm THRILLED it worked...my instant salinity reading is still low at about 2200, but the avg reads 3300 so will see how long this fix lasts, but it's encouraging cuz it was shutting down within 30 secs when the avg showed 2000. Thanks Pool Guys, I don't know what you do but you deserve a medal...I was going to talk to Hayward next week, but wonder if they would have given me this info on their tech line in Canada.
poolstud
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My Pool: 18 x 32 kidney, waterfall feature, Aquarite swcg, Jandy CL340 cartridge filter, Hayward 2 speed superpump
Location: Canada

salt

Postby poolstud » Sat 30 Jul, 2011 15:33

dsowder wrote:
excel wrote:The sensor can also be replaced without having to replace the entire cell. It is a $20 part and is a very easy (less than 1/2 hr) fix.



Where can I get information on replacement parts for these things... I talked directly to Goldline and I might have well been talking to the wall.....



Someone else on this forum said the salt sensor can't be replaced..his name was Mark...
poolstud
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My Pool: 18 x 32 kidney, waterfall feature, Aquarite swcg, Jandy CL340 cartridge filter, Hayward 2 speed superpump
Location: Canada

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby poolstud » Sat 30 Jul, 2011 15:49

I am interested in hearing reply to 'Pool User's mention of the instant readings bringing the avg back down after recalibration, and how to correct the instant salinity. Otherwise the recalibration I just did (thanks to Pool Guys post on pg 15) may be short lived as a fix. I hope not as many of us have had low avg reading versus our actual test strip measurements.

Will talk to Hayward next week to see if the instant salinity measurement accuracy is degraded as the cell ages, which I suspect is the case, in which case recalibration will only work for a short while sadly....

Am wondering if anybody with T-Cell-15 with about 17K gals pool has seen 10 yrs life with it on 4-5 mos a year (i'm in Toronto) and at 50% output for 10 hrs a day on Hi speed 1 hp pump, or thereabouts) I'm at 6.5 with no major probs except the low readings but it has always been only 500 ppm low so I've been able to work it by adding salt till avg reading was 2800 approx.

Thanks
Guruofpoolsatdiscountpoolwarehouse

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby Guruofpoolsatdiscountpoolwarehouse » Mon 01 Aug, 2011 08:48

A word of caution about acid washing a salt generator cell. The titanium plates are coated with a special mineral, ruthenium, and this mineral is released into the pool water as the unit produces chlorine. When you acid wash a cell you will remove some of the ruthenium from the plates thus shortening the life of the cell. ONLY ACID WASH THE CELL IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! Also it is best not to stick anything between the plates as this could possibly remove some of the special coating. When the ruthenium is gone so will the production of chlorine, and your salt level will read lower than it actual salt level.

Also in order to extend the life of your cell there are two things to keep in mind;

1.) Your goal is to find the lowest percentage that will keep your chlorine at the proper level. The AquaRite produces chlorine in a timed basis. The percentage you set is the percentage of time that the unit will make chlorine. As an example lets say it operates on a 200 minute cycle. If you set it at 50% the unit will produce chlorine for 100 minutes and be off for 100 minutes. So the lower the setting the longer the cell will last. However you still need to keep the chlorine an acceptable level for you pool. Temperature is a factor. The hotter the water the higher the percentage will need to be set. This is for outdoor pools, for indoor pools you will find that the level will always be very low for residential indoor pools.

2.) pH is very important! You must keep the pH level below 7.7 and above 7.2. Failure to keep the pH level below 7.7 can cause scale to form on the cell. The AquaRite has a self cleaning function built into it however, when the pH goes above 7.7 all bets are off and the cell will scale. When this happen you will have to acid wash it and shorten the life of the cell. If you are in an area that has hard water (calcium above 300ppm) then you will want to use a sequestering agent that does not contain phosphates. Don't even get me started about phosphates, just suffice it to say when combined with the right percentage of nitrates they can reek havoc on your chlorine levels.
chuck decker

Goldline

Postby chuck decker » Sat 06 Aug, 2011 09:56

Eng wrote:I had problems with my cell too. It seems like every 2 years they go bad. I got tired of paying money to get it replaced. I am an engineer, so I started studying how they work. It seems that the root of the problem is the temperature sensor at the cell. Check the temperature by pressing the button next to the display. Use a thermometer in the pool to check the water temperature. Is it off by more that 5 degrees? If it is, then you salinity will be wrong and it will call for more salt. The cell will shut down automatically. To overcome this situation I open my cell and cut the two wires on the side of the cell (red and blue). These are the temperature sensor wires. I installed an 8.5 K ohms resistor between the two wires. This will give you a forever temperature of 86 degrees. After that, the cell started working properly. Since I have a fixed temperature now I used salinity strips to keep track of the salt. This worked for me. If you want to do it, go ahead at your own risk. Other that this, there is no other way around it. I heard from other people having the same problem.



I am having the exact same problem with my Goldline T15 Turbo Cell is the resistor a 5 watt or 10 watt resistor?

Thanks
Chuck
68mustangjim

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby 68mustangjim » Sun 07 Aug, 2011 22:00

dumbwhiteguy

Hey post more info on temp sensor help us here.
floridapooltech
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Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby floridapooltech » Sun 07 Aug, 2011 22:24

68mustangjim wrote:dumbwhiteguy

Hey post more info on temp sensor help us here.


What is the information you are looking for?
Poman

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby Poman » Mon 08 Aug, 2011 19:07

kcooper1 wrote:We have a goldilne chlorinator. The control box lights up but there is no flow to the cell and the pool does not have chlorine. I read that the "board" can have issues. We removed the cover and see a dark spot appearing the something has burned out. What types of repairs / costs are we looking at? I can find information on replacement cells but not the boards.



The "burn" spot is a relay for the cell. This referral is an easy 10 minute soldering fix. Review the web site and save yourself $600+.

http://www.nocellpower.com/letter.aspx
68mustangjim

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby 68mustangjim » Tue 09 Aug, 2011 00:45

dumbwhiteguy wrote:My Cell has the Cell temperature short reading too. I have a better fix than the resistor. Take a sensor like the one that reads the water temperature and wire it to the red and blue wires. Then drill a hole in your PVC pipe and mount it just like the water sensor that is already there. Problem solved. I actually drilled a hole in the cover plate to run the wire through and silicone it with 100% silicone and it will be sealed. This way it will read the water temperature and it's not just rigged with a resistor. Part was $ 32.00 Saved me $ 500.00


What temp sensor did he use?

and or
The resistor rating or part number.
Raddirector
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Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby Raddirector » Mon 15 Aug, 2011 09:53

First off this is a great forum and has saved me time and money and I thank everyone for there input. The reason for my post. Last week i replaced my tcell 15 because Leslies tested and confirmed that it was bad after 4yrs on that cell. Before going bad I made the error of adding salt to my pool thinking it needed it and now I find my self with a reading of 3700 from the store. Not worried about that because i can correct this by draining and adding new water. My problem is that the new cell after installing is reading 4700ppm and obviously not generating. For me to get this down to 3400 would require me to drain serious amounts of water and the actual salt content of the pool would be critically low. I retested the new cell today at leslies to verify that it was not a bad out of box cell and it passed. I think i understand that +-500 reading is normal but my system is 1000 off. Also the instant reading goes from 6100 down to 4700 and settles. Any ideas? Pool water temp is hot at 89 because of the insane heat wave we have add across the midwest.
floridapooltech
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Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby floridapooltech » Tue 16 Aug, 2011 14:46

Raddirector wrote:First off this is a great forum and has saved me time and money and I thank everyone for there input. The reason for my post. Last week i replaced my tcell 15 because Leslies tested and confirmed that it was bad after 4yrs on that cell. Before going bad I made the error of adding salt to my pool thinking it needed it and now I find my self with a reading of 3700 from the store. Not worried about that because i can correct this by draining and adding new water. My problem is that the new cell after installing is reading 4700ppm and obviously not generating. For me to get this down to 3400 would require me to drain serious amounts of water and the actual salt content of the pool would be critically low. I retested the new cell today at leslies to verify that it was not a bad out of box cell and it passed. I think i understand that +-500 reading is normal but my system is 1000 off. Also the instant reading goes from 6100 down to 4700 and settles. Any ideas? Pool water temp is hot at 89 because of the insane heat wave we have add across the midwest.


You're going to have to calculate for an adjusted reading. Water temperature over 75' F will affect how the cell, meter and strips read salt levels.
fish

Goldline "Aqua-Rite" salt chlorinator problems

Postby fish » Sat 20 Aug, 2011 13:22

It would help if we knew what $32.00 sensor he was talking about.

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